A Cyclone Climatology of the Canadian Climate Centre General Circulation Model

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Abstract
The cyclone event climatology is presented for a five-year simulation by the Canadian Climate Centre general circulation model. Winter season results are given for the extratropical regions of both the Northern and the Southern hemispheres and the results are compared to an event climatology based on five years of observed data. In the Northern Hemisphere, classification of the simulated and the observed 1000 mb lows as a function of central height shows that the model has a deficiency of weak cyclones and an excess of intense cyclones while the number of cyclones of medium intensity is well simulated. The geographical distribution of the cyclone events shows that those features of the observed climatology which are thermal in nature, such as a preference for lows to form and move over relatively warm underlying surfaces, are reasonably well simulated, but the topographical features such as lee cyclogenesis and the avoidance of high terrain by lows are poorly simulated. The Southern Hemisphere al... Abstract The cyclone event climatology is presented for a five-year simulation by the Canadian Climate Centre general circulation model. Winter season results are given for the extratropical regions of both the Northern and the Southern hemispheres and the results are compared to an event climatology based on five years of observed data. In the Northern Hemisphere, classification of the simulated and the observed 1000 mb lows as a function of central height shows that the model has a deficiency of weak cyclones and an excess of intense cyclones while the number of cyclones of medium intensity is well simulated. The geographical distribution of the cyclone events shows that those features of the observed climatology which are thermal in nature, such as a preference for lows to form and move over relatively warm underlying surfaces, are reasonably well simulated, but the topographical features such as lee cyclogenesis and the avoidance of high terrain by lows are poorly simulated. The Southern Hemisphere al...

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